“The Body of an American” by The Pogues
It has been deduced that The Pogues’ “The Body of an American” is an antiwar song. But coming to that conclusion solely from the nature of the lyrics takes some imagination or perhaps a more-advanced understanding of what’s being put forth.
What has been more generally concluded is that this piece speaks to certain, let’s say ideological aspects of the Irish-American experience. So it stands to reason that listeners who are familiar with such or may be Irish themselves would have a better appreciation of all that’s being put forth.
Going back to this track being interpreted as antiwar, yes, it can be taken that the vocalist is criticizing certain aspects of being in America. This is more pronounced as far as the second verse goes. And that’s because therein he presents one “Jim Dwyer”, a former boxer, as being an upright man, though one that was apparently drafted and ‘sent to the war’ anyway. However, it doesn’t read like he perished therein. Instead, the logical implication would be that he died more recently. This is because it is his funeral which the vocalist is attending and largely commenting on.
Location of Funeral
Another matter of debate revolves around where the said funeral is being held. Is it being held in the United States or Jim’s ancestral homeland of Ireland? It seems that the consensus (such as taking the title of the song into consideration) would be that the latter is the case. But in any event, as insinuated it is very much an Irish affair. The funeral is one in which most of the attendees are of Irish background.
As such, another subtopic of this piece revolves around the people at the funeral celebrating accordingly, i.e. with lots of booze and “uncles giving lectures on ancient Irish history”.
Thesis Sentiment of “The Body of an American”
As for the thesis sentiment of this piece, it is honestly so hard to conclude that this track is antiwar. This is because, well, as far as being criticized in such a manner by the likes of conscious musicians, if such were actually the case here, then the United Sates would more likely be presented as a warmongering country. But instead, the thesis sentiment actually centers on a love for America.
The aforementioned Jim Dwyer, who is the main subject of this piece, is presented as someone who took great pride in being an American. He treasured being American even more so, it would seem, than his Irish heritage.
In the third verse, we find the vocalist singing from a first-person perspective. Here, it would appear that he too has great affection for the United States. It may most likely be that he is relaying that sentiment from the perspective of Dwyer. And what’s being put forth is that the vocalist, who obviously has feelings of loyalty towards Ireland also, may never return to the United States. However, yet and still he will “always love” her.
The Takeaway
So all lyrics considered, without us coming to any hasty conclusions ourselves, it would appear that what The Pogues are most simply speaking to is great pride and fulfilment. But what kind? The type of pride that some individuals of immigrant backgrounds take in being “a freeborn man of the USA”.
Jim putting forth that he was a “freeborn American” would probably mean that he was born there.
Furthermore, it can also be theorized that, due to possessing such a background, he took the concept of being “free” very seriously. He took this concept so seriously to the point where he did not acquiesce himself to any types of shady people or vices while in the boxing game.
Perhaps, if we were to make a hasty conclusion, we could say that The Pogues are probably trying to say that his patriotism was akin to an unhealthy or unsubstantiated obsession. The same kind of obsession that would make some people from other parts of the world to perceive living in the US as like the greatest aspiration on Earth.
But in terms of what’s being emitted on the surface, this song comes off as being in remembrance of an Irish immigrant who valued his American citizenship and upon passing is afforded a proper funeral in his ancestral homeland.
The Pogues
The Pogues were a well-known band from London. They specialized in a genre classified as Celtic punk. The Pogues were around for the better part of the late 20th and early-21st centuries. They were fronted by and large by Shane MacGowan and had a pretty-good run circa the late-1980s.
During the latter parts of the 1980s, the following Pogues’ albums scored within the top 5 of the UK Albums Chart:
- “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” (1988)
- “Peace and Love” (1989)
Meanwhile “The Body of an American” was introduced sometime prior, on 24 February 1986. It came out as part of their EP “Poguetry in Motion”. Later on it was also featured on their first compilation album, 1991’s “The Best of the Pogues”.
Credits for “The Body of an American”
It is Shane MacGowan, a pretty well-traveled singer, who wrote this song. Its producer, on the other hand, was Elvis Costello. Costello was a famous musician in his own right.
Notable Usage of “The Body of an American”
This song was featured in David Simon’s “The Wire”. “The Wire” was a popular American crime drama series which aired between 2002 and 2008.
To Note:
At the time of this song’s initial dropping, the membership of The Pogues, besides for MacGowan, was rounded out by the following:
- James Feamley
- Jem Finer
- Terry Woods
- Cait O’Riordan
- Andrew Ranken
- Spider Stacy
- Philip Chevron
Damien Dempsey’s Rendition
Irish singer Damien Dempsey performed a cover of this song in Dublin in January 2016. He was accompanied by The Pogues during the performance, which was held at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The performance was in honor of McGowan’s 60th Birthday.
“Poguetry in Motion”
“Poguetry in Motion” is an EP released on the 24th of February, 1986. The EP comprised 4 tracks including, “The Body of an American”.
Recording took place in the following recording studios located in the English capital, London:
- Elephant Studios
- Sarm West Studios
- AIR Studios
Shane MacGowan is the brain behind the composition of all four songs making up “Poguetry in Motion”. The EP was produced by renowned English record producer, Elvis Costello.
“Poguetry in Motion” was released to music lovers in the United States and Canada through defunct American record label, MCA Records. Fans in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe got access to it through London based record label, Stiff Records.
The EP became the last project The Pogues collaborated with Elvis Costello on. It was also the last project the band worked on with bassist, Cait O’Riordan as part of their lineup. Cait left the band after her marriage to Elvis.
Aside from “The Body of an American”, the three other songs appearing on this album are as follows:
- “London Girl”
- “A Rainy Night in Soho”
- “Planxty Noel Hill”
The Crazy Pride Certain People of Immigrant Backgrounds take in being Americans
Most immigrants in America whose families came over recent enough for them to remember their homeland do tend to maintain a palpable connection with it, even if only on certain occasions. But they also, obviously considering the move they made, often take greater pride in being an American – more so, it has been argued in quite a few cases, than those of us whose families have been here since time immemorial. “Jim Dwyer” from “The Body of an American” is a typical example of such a person.
The Reasons
People like Jim Dwyer love America due to a number of factors. For instance, even though the United States has its own issues with crime, etc., some immigrants come from parts of the world where actual war is a constant. Others may originate from regions with strong religious or political intolerance. But America is such that it idealizes the right to individual freedoms – so much so that it can initiate wars under such rationales.
Another big draw, to be totally honest, is the American dollar itself. The dollar is one of the most-powerful currencies in the world. Furthermore, it is also the most globally-recognized currency. And even then, it’s not all about the Benjamins per se. Instead, the United States is a country where most workers are paid well. Furthermore, genuine opportunities for upward mobility are available to the majority of employees.
By contrast, some other nations are such that those on the lower end of the social ladder can work their fingers to the bone. However, at the end of the day, they do not really have anything to show for it. Also, the United States government itself is wealthy enough that it can actually assist its citizens – even those new to the country – in various ways.
So it isn’t uncommon to come across immigrants who may take even more pride in being an American than identifying with their native land. And that’s because on top of all of the above, America also happens to be the most-popular country on Earth.
